Brush rotating and positioning device



Jan. 1'7, 1956 L. HERMAN BRUSH ROTATING AND POSITIONING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 5, 1953 INVENTOR.

Lou/s HERMAN WWW A T TORNEY Jan, 17, 1956 HERMAN BRUSH ROTATING AND POSITIONING DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1955 INVENTOR. 100/5 f/E/QMAA/ QMM/z/ AT ORNEY United States Patent 9 2,730,737 BRUSH ROTATING AND POSITIGNING DEVICE Louis Herman, Detroit, Mich.

Application August 5, 1953, Serial No. 372,598

4 Claims. (Cl. 15 -21) This invention relates to new and useful improvements in a bathing and/or massaging apparatus and more particularly to a device of the character herein described which is adapted for use in associationwithbath tubs or shower stalls, and the like, and in which a rotary brush, or the like, is employed for washing or massaging. the body of the user, it being an object. of this invention to provide a device of this class having utility, durability and ease of operation.

In its illustrated embodiment the present invention comprises a mounting panel adapted to be fastened to the bathroom wall above the bath tube or to a wall of a stall shower. The mounting panel supports at one end thereof a vapor sealed electric motor which is geared to a driving shaft, the driving. shaft in turn being geared to an angularly related driven shaft adapted to support a rotary brush or the like. The driven or brush shaft is journalled on a bracket which isadapted to be raised or lowered preferably by manually operable screw means whereby the brush, or the like, may be positioned at any desired height. The foregoing operative structure is adapted to be enclosed in a suitably aesthetic cover having only the brush, or the like, and the necessary. control knobs projecting therefrom.

Other features and objects will appear in the following description and appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings forminga part of this specification.

Fig. 1 is a view in perspective on a greatly reduced scale of a portion of a bathroom having the device embodied in the present invention mounted on'the wall thereof above the bathtub.

Fig. 2 is a view illustrating the device embodied in the present invention mounted on the wall of a shower stall.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary front elevation of the device embodied in the present invention with parts in section andwith the cover portion cut away to reveal the mecha nism thereof.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary side elevation of Fig. 3 with parts in section.

Fig. 5 is a section taken substantially through line 5-5,of Fig. 3.

Before explaining in detail the present invention it is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the detailsof constructionand arrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since the invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced or carried out in various ways. Also it is to be understood that the phraseology or terminology employed herein is for the purpose of description and not limitation.

Referring to Fig. 1 of the accompanying drawings, the illustrated embodiment of the preesnt device, generally designated 10, is adapted to be mounted on the wall sur face 11 of a bathroom so that the rotary brush, or the like, hereinafter referred to as the brush 12, will project somewhat over the bath tub 13. In Fig. 2, the device is illustrated as mounted on the wall 14 of a stall shower 2,730,737 Patented: Jan. 17, 1956 15. As will be more fully explained, means is provided for moving the brush llupwardly or downwardly to any desired height. Because of this adjustability in the height of the brush 12 as well as the fact that a person may vary the position of his body, a person standing in the tub 12 or the shower 15 will be able to conveniently and effectively cause the brush 12 to contact the various upper portions of his body, particularly the back portions of the body which cannot be conveniently reached by'the hands or even with a manually manipulable back scrubber.

The illustrated embodiment of the device 10 comprises a mounting panel 16. The mounting panellld is provided with two spaced parallel flanges 17 and 18. The lower flange 17 extends angularly from the lower edge of the panel. The upper flange 18 comprises a portion of the panel 16 formed or punched out and bent. to parallel the lower flange l7. Suitable support ribs and 1-8:: are welded between the flanges l7 and 18" respectively and the panel 16 to brace the flanges to support the operative parts of the device 10.

A vapor sealed electric motor is mounted on the upper surface 181') of the upper flange 18, the shaft T9 of the motor projecting through an aperture in the flange 18. At its lower end the shaft 19 carries a gear 29' which is in mesh with a gear 21 secured to a longitudinally extending shaft 22. The longitudinally extending shaft 22 is suitably journalled at each end thereof in bearing means 23 and 2d mounted on theflanges l7 and llfl respective'ly.

The shaft 22 is paralleled by a longitudinally extending screw 25 which issuitably journalled at its lower end in bearing means 26 carried in the base of a right angle bracket 27 and at its upper end in bearing; means 2% carried by the flange 13. The shaft 22 and the screw 25 provide a support for a gear box 29. As illustrated, the gear box 29 comprises two spaced plate portions 39 and 31. As viewed in Fig. 3, the plate portions 3t; and 31 are spaced at their left ends by a block 32 whichhas a longitudinally threaded here to accommodate the threaded portion 33 of the screw 25'; At their right ends the plates 30' and 31 are held in spaced relationship 'by horizontally spaced bearing plates 34 provided with suitable bushings 35'. Between the spaced'bearing plates 34 the gear box 29 is provided with a worm 36' through which the driving shaft 22 projects. The worm 36 is keyed. to the driving shaft in any convenient manner which will permit longitudinal movement of the worm 36 relative to the driving shaft 22 as the gear box 29is raised and lowered by manipulation of the screw 25. As illustrated, the shaft 22 is provided with a flat 3'7 thereon and the-bore of the worm 36 is shaped to accommodate the shape of the shaft 22, as shown in Fig. 5.

The raising and lowering of the gear box 2% is accomplished by means of hand operated gearing as best viewed in Fig. 3. thereto a bevel gear 38. The gear 38 is in mesh with a second bevel gear 39 secured to a horizontally extending shaft ii). The shaft 40 is journalled in the upright leg 41 of the bracket 27; The shaft all) is provided with any suitable hand grip or knob ill by whichit may be rotated in either direction to cause rotation of-the screw 25 whereby the gear box 29'ma'y be raised or lowered as desired.

The gear box 29 has journalled thereon a horizontally extending shaft 43 supported for rotation in bushings carried in the front and rear plates 30 and 31 respectively. Pinned to the shaft 43 is a worm gear 45 in mesh with. the worm 36. The shaft 43 carries at its front or right end, as viewed in Fig. 4, the rotary brush or the like 12 which may be secured thereon in any convenient manner. As illustrated, the brush 12 is provided with a rubber hub 46 adapted to be press fit on the shaft 43.

Rheostat means having the control knob 47 thereof accessible at the upper left hand corner of the housing 48 At its lower end the screw 25 has secured may be provided to permit changes of speed to be made. The housing 48 comprises a rectangularly shaped member having an elongated vertically extending slot 49 therein to accommodate vertical movement of shaft 43. The housing 48 is adapted to be secured to the mounting plate of bracket 16 by means of metal screws 50 adapted to be screwed into suitably apertured tabs 51 on the bracket 16.

The operation of the present device is briefly as follows: The knob 47 controlling the rheostat, which may include the on-off switch, is adjusted to cause rotation of the brush 12 at the desired rate of speed. The knob 42 is rotated to cause the brush 12 to be positioned at the desired height. The copious application of soap and water to the brush and body of the user will result in maximum effectiveness and maximum cleanliness of the body of the user. In addition the massaging effect of the rotary brush will result in an invigorating stimulation of the body circulation. It will be understood that the brush 12 may be interchangeable with a sponge or rubber massaging device as desired.

In its illustrated embodiment the invention is shown adapted for use as an attachment to pre-existing bathroom or stall shower walls. It will be readily understood that in new construction the device is adapted to be built into the bathroom. or stall shower wall. In such a case only the brushes and the control knobs would be visible, the knob 42 projecting from the front of the device rather than the left side as viewed in the drawings. In such an installation the housing would be replaced by a cover panel to provide access to the mechanism.

It is believed that the advantages and use of the invention will be clearly understood from the foregoing disclosure and accordingly, further description thereof at this point is considered unnecessary.

I claim:

1. In a brush rotating and positioning apparatus, an elongated support including a vertically extending panel, a prime mover mounted on said support, a pair of longitudinally extending shafts journalled on said support in spaced parallel relationship and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said panel, means operatively connecting one of said shafts to said prime mover for rotation thereby, bracket means straddling said pair of shafts, the other of said shafts having an operative connection with said bracket means, manually operable means actuatable to rotate said other shaft to move said bracket means in a vertical direction relative to said pair of shafts, a third shaft rotatably journalled on said bracket means between and substantially at right angles to said pair of shafts, means movable with said bracket means operatively connecting said third shaft to said one shaft for correlated rotation, and brush means mounted on said third shaft for rotation therewith.

2. In a brush rotating and positioning apparatus, an elongated support including a vertically extending panel, a prime mover mounted on said support, a pair of longitudinally extending shafts journalled on said support in spaced parallel relationship and lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said panel, means operatively connecting one of said shafts to said prime mover for rotation thereby, bracket means straddling said pair of shafts, the other of said shafts having an operative connection with said bracket means, manually operable means actuatable to rotate said other shaft to move said bracket means in a vertical direction relative to said pair of shafts, a third shaft rotatably journalled on said bracket means between and substantially at right angles to said pair of shafts, gear means carried on said bracket means rotatably connecting said horizontally extending shaft to said one shaft, said gear means including a worm gear keyed to said one shaft for rotation thereby and movement longitudinally thereof, and brush means mounted on said third shaft for rotation therewith.

3. A bathing device comprising a vertically extending support structure adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall of a bathroom, said support structure having substantially horizontal upper and lower spaced support flanges thereon, electrical motor means mounted on the outer side of one of said support flanges, a first shaft and a second shaft journalled on said flanges in spaced parallel relationship, said shafts lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wall when the device is mounted on such wall, means operatively coupling said first shaft to said electric motor means for rotation thereby, bracket means straddling said first and second shafts, said second shaft having a screw connection with said bracket means, manually operable means for actuating .said second shaft to raise and lower said bracket means,

a substantially horizontally extending shaft rotatably journalled on said bracket means between said first and second shaft and extending substantially at right angles to the plane thereof, means operatively connecting said horizontally extending shaft to said first shaft for correlated rotation, and brush means mounted on said horizontally extending shaft for rotation therewith.

4. A bathing device comprising a vertically extending support structure adapted to be mounted on a vertical wall of a bathroom, said support structure having substantially horizontal upper and lower spaced support flanges thereon, electrical motor means mounted on the upper side of said upper support flange, a first shaft and a second shaft journalled on said flanges in spaced parallel relationship, said shafts lying in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of the wall when the device is mounted on such wall, means operatively coupling said first shaft to said electric motor means for rotation thereby, bracket means straddling said first and second shafts, said second shaft having a screw connection with said bracket means, manually operable means for actuating said second shaft to raise and lower said bracket means, a substantially horizontally extending shaft rotatably journalled on said bracket means between said first and second shaft and extending substantially at right angles to the plane thereof, gear means carried on said bracket means rotatably connecting said horizontally extending shaft to said first shaft, said gear means including a gear carried by said first shaft for rotation thereby while permitting movement longitudinally thereof, and brush means mounted on said horizontally extending shaft for rotation therewith.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 398,731 James Feb. 26, 1889 1,609,796 Cheney Dec. 7, 1926 1,798,215 Neilson Mar. 31, 1931 1,919,854 Masseau July 25, 1933 2,312,189 Petley Feb. 23, 1949 

